Hawkguard
Not all warders are comfortable with a sword and shield, but take their role as a defender no less seriously. While not as robust in the realm of melee combat, the hawkguard takes his skills to a preternatural extreme, being able to defend as well as a stout shield with a bow and quiver, a trusty crossbow, or a bandolier of throwing weapons. Weapon and Armor Proficiencies The hawkguard is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and he is proficient with light and medium armor, and with bucklers. This replaces the warder’s normal starting weapon and armor proficiencies. Archer Training (Ex) With the exhaustive training that hawkguards undergo, the hawkguard becomes a skilled ranged combatant who specializes in the use of a branch of ranged weaponry. She may select one ranged weapon to be her favored. When wielding this weapon, she does not suffer a penalty to hit for wearing a buckler and retains her shield bonus to AC even when using that arm to attack with her chosen weapon. The hawkguard also gains Point Blank Shot as a bonus feat. Disciplines The hawkguard gains access to Solar Wind, losing access to Primal Fury. Survival is no longer a class skill; Perception is now a class skill. Ranged Defensive Focus (Ex) The hawkguard is a deadly opponent as he focuses on protecting his allies and himself while planning his next moves. This functions as the normal warder defensive focus, except for the following changes. When recovering warder maneuvers as a full-round action, the hawkguard threatens an area within 15 feet of herself, except for adjacent squares. This area increases by 5 feet for every five initiator levels the hawkguard possesses. The bowman threatens this space only if he’s wielding a ranged weapon, and may make attacks of opportunity with ranged weapons as long as Ranged Defensive Focus is active. This modifies and changes the warder’s defensive focus class feature. Close Combat Archery (Ex) At 3rd level, the hawkguard no longer provokes attacks of opportunity when firing or reloading his favored weapon while threatened in melee combat. When using his ranged defensive focus ability, he may now attack foes in adjacent spaces to himself. This replaces the improved defensive focus class feature. Defending the Sky (Ex) Upon reaching 5th level, the hawkguard becomes increasingly adept at protecting his allies from harm. Once per day he is capable of extending the use of his counters to react to multiple attacks. Any counter that the hawkguard possesses that has a duration of instant instead has a duration of 1 round. He may then use this counter against any attack targeting an allied creature that it could normally be used to repel. Every three levels beyond this (8th, 11th, 14th, and 17th levels) he may use this ability an additional time per day. This ability replaces the extended defense class feature. Evasive Reflexes (Ex) At 7th level the hawkguard gains evasion (as the rogue class feature, except it functions in medium and heavy armor in addition to light). As an immediate action, he may lose the benefits of the evasion ability for one round and grant it to an ally for one round. This replaces the adaptive tactics class feature. Category:Source: Path of War